Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP - Platinum

We just bought GBA SP two days ago at the Forbidden Planet store in NYC, and our whole family has been playing it practically continuously ever since. ... We tried to maximize the additional investment by buying the Cobalt Black, which was not available through Amazon. It is beautiful, although personally, I think I might have preferred Orange, which they didn't have. Also, the instructions are in Japanese - not that this matters much; aside from the obvious stuff, it mostly said stuff like don't drop it or get it wet and if your fingers or wrists start hurting you should stop playing immediately and go see a doctor. I was reading it to may husband and we were just *rolling*. It's pretty wierd, though, when you think about it.) Anyway, I had refused to get my son a GBA because I believed they would come out with this someday. It was a long wait. We couldn't play any of the good GBA games and I had to listen to my son's eternal whining. But upgrading to the GBA screen just wasn't worth it versus the GB Color when we had PSII and GameCube to keep us occupied. To note, GBA SP is not perfect, as other reviewers have noted. There is no earphone (although I never play with sound anyway) and you can't switch new batteries in to continue playing immediately, although you *can* continue playing while you are recharging -- not ideal if you are on a plane, though, which I often am. The LiON battery inside will give out after 500 charges, which I figure will be (for us) in about two, maybe three years. The manual does show you how to take it out, although it also tells you not to else you void the warranty. Go figure. But in 2-3 years they will have come out with something else -- an upgrade or a new battery or whaever, so who cares? It's not like we're upgrading a PC. Also, there are few accessories out, not that I care. The thing closes up, so you don't really need a case as much (although I guess you might want something to carry your games in, maybe). I don't really use those rumble thingys, so that didn't matter. You don't need a light attachment for obvious reasons. The screen is beautiful and bright and you can play in total, pitch darkness (which my husband did after I went to bed). If you have a PalmIIIc or a Sony Clie, this is not *that* good, as far as screen resolution, but you know what I am talking about as far as the luxury of being able to play in low light/poor light conditions. You will be able to free up a lot of valuable memory space on your PDA now. As far as size, the total footprint, when closed, is even smaller than a 3.5in disk and slightly thicker than a deck of cards. The weight's about the same as old GB, though, IMHO. To note, my brother, who already has a GBA and is pretty cheap, wasn't sure if he was going to get one of these, was really impressed by the screen, the compactness of the design, etc. so now he's going to get one too. (He'll probably try to sell his old GBA). Net, if you play GB/GBA enough and care about your eyes, this might be a good investment. Or, you can (like I did a few years ago). Wait for Nintendo's next portable gaming breakthrough (hotswap batteries? I dunno.) All I know is that this was the one I was waiting for.

The one shown, in very pretty light silver gray is the older version. It has two settings but the first is really poorly lit. This is the older model, not the SP. These were lit from the front somehow, I was told, not backlit. It is much less desirable then the newer ones I am about to describe. I bought it out of sentimentality because it was in beautiful condition. This model later came in colors either gunmetal(dark gray), or pale blue or pale pink and id referred to as SP. The improved backlighting that lets you do either a normal or a brighter viewing is truly wonderful and presents beautiful games that look like the Sunday comics colors in the funnies of many years ago. The detail of the games is remarkably superior to the earlier ones that were made in red, black, or bright silver as the one mentioned. The newer ones were totally improved These newer ones in pink, blue or gunmetal are the best that - in my opinion- were invented. While improvements continue to be made in an ever-changing and updating market, there is nothing like these compact, pocket-sized Game Boy Advance SP handy and beautiful game players. They last forever (so it seems) and recharge quickly, lasting quite a while before needing recharging again. The have a volume control. The Warioland 4, Zelda, Mario Pinball, Castlevania, Collapse II, Tetris and certain other games that stack and fling a completed row...you probably known what I mean..are really wonderful on this type of compact. While the exquisitely-made smaller (miniature) machines are truly works of art, they are harder to manipulate and strain the eyes a bit. They do not have the choice of a bright or brighter screen but are also the more modern backlit kind. They have less volume. I would worry about eyetrain in a youngster, the same as too much time for young eyes viewing any computer screen but the difference is that today's computer screens often allow an enlargement of whatever material is to be viewed. As I mentioned, The one we are talking about, the Game Boy Advance SP(ecial) is portable ...absolutely perfect to fit in a pocket. The games are two dimensional and some of the games can be preserved so that you can turn the thing back on and return to the same place where you stopped. Some can be played till you get everything you need to then advance to the next level. These games and the units themselves, are treasures. The power cord/charger unit is still available...online if nowhere else., Some games don't let you store the achievements and allow turning off the unit, but the Game Boy Advance SP does this., depending on when they were created, pretty much. I bought a bunch of the earlier games that were very primitive, just out of fascination for them and to appreciate where a game like Warioland 4 Super Hard Level is about. Not many people even know about this last one. Kids would not know how to pursue it to this high level an not probably have the patience or wisdom to figure it out. Not to put down kids because they are creative and fantastic little buzzards....I could learn a lot. I am 75 and at was 73, when starting on this adventure, had to figure out every single move by trial and error. What a thrill to find the place in the wall that allowed Wario entry, for example, and how to avoid and overpower this and that. Beautifully created and devised. Some day it would be fun to tell the people who created these beauties what a contribution to the world of art and electronics they have given. I wish I could say that I was as good at the other games. But if you are coming up to my age, and a woman, and never had anything like this as a child....get started with Warioland 4 and eventually Mario Pinball. Just don't bother with the gladiator on the end of that game. The trip is great but the designers dropped the ball with the ending. I have won it twice. It is not worth the adrenalin it takes. Couldn't sleep after putting myself under that kind of stress to have the design of the game not respond properly. As ;you can see, I can not say enough good things about these wonderful things! Who says that we had it all, back then, does not understand, that those of us still alive, had it all, and now again have it all! Great. Just great. Sorry if this seems really wordy but I wish someone had written all of this for me when I had a lot of questions. nancy morse

I have been a Gameboy fan for over a decade. From the original clunky, beige box with the green screen, to the more svelte icy-blue Pocket variant, to the Gameboy Color, to the "no frills" Gameboy Advance and now, the Gameboy Advance SP! I must say, when I first saw Nintendo unveiling the SP, a few things went through my mind. First off, I felt like an idiot for spending my hard-earned cash on the Gameboy Advance. Although substantially improved in the tech department (32 bits BABY!), the unit was still plagued by an issue dating back to 1989- no backlight! The rest of the thoughts that went through my mind were along the lines of "where can I get one". Though I was anxious to buy it the day it hit US shores, I waited for no apparent reason, probably to at least feel like I used my Advance a bit. 12 weeks after release, I caved in and bought a product I should have imported from Japan! What an improvement to the Advance, it is almost as if the GBA is a no-frills car with just the basic options and the SP is the model with leather, sports suspension and sunroof. I must say, Nintendo really got a hole-in-one. --What I love about the SP-- The backlight: It is SO nice to finally have a Gameboy that can be played anywhere- from a night-time car ride to a darkened bedroom. Couple that with the option of turning the backlight off to go on "battery economy mode"- pure bliss! The new battery: No longer will I have to plunk down cash on Duracells and Energizers. A lithium battery that Nintendo claims will handle 500 cycles is FANTASTIC news. It's nice to just plug the unit in, and you can even play games as you recharge. Also, the flip-open power adapter that Nintendo has is a space-saver. I have gotten about 10 hours of use on a charge with the backlight always on and about 17 with it always off- very decent battery performance indeed. The clamshell design: Not only does the laptop-style of the SP allow for a smaller unit, but it shields the delicate screen from the dangers to portable electronics in the world we live in. This is also the first Gameboy that truly fits in a back pocket when closed and "stowed". Thumbs up to Nintendo! Hey, my hands aren't cramped: While none of my previous Gameboys ever gave me problems with my hands, the SP is very comfortable. That says a lot too, I'm not a 10 year old kid with small hands. Nintendo realizes that kids and adults alike will buy their Gameboy, and they have sized it accordingly to fit hands of all ages. A gamepak from 1989, no problem!: I love the fact that all my old Gameboy and Gameboy Color games can be played in addition to the new-fangled Advance games- I literally have well over 1,000 games to play from. --What is just OK-- My only gripe about the SP is its lack of a built-in headphone port. While there is an adapter out there, Nintendo could have thrown in the native port. It's no big deal though, a cheap adaptor sets the situation straight. --In conclusion-- This is the finest Gameboy to date. With tons of great games on the market and even better ones coming out in the next few months, the game selection is tremendous. Nintendo has FINALLY brought the Gameboy into the 21st century with the SP- in all departments!

Nintendo has really done it this time. They have finally produced a product that brings back its glory of the old days. It is about time. While more and more games are becoming available for cell phones and PDAs, none of those games can compete with the gameplay, graphics, and intensity of the games for GBA. If you are one of those folks playing games on your cell phones or PDAs, I'd suggest you stop now and get this new GBA SP. The added backlight feature and flip design makes this not only portable but also usable in almost any condition. Since I have had my GBA SP, I have yet to touch my Game Cube or PS2. The GBA SP is so good that it is almost replacing my more powerful gaming machines. Yes, some people might complain about the graphics of the GBA SP games. You can't compare GBA to Game Cube, PS2 or X-Box. They are not comparable. Yeah, the large machines of course render awesome graphics. But can you fit your x-box and your TV inside of your shirt pocket?

Item was advertised as being very beat up. So I didn't have a problem with the cosmetic condition of it. However, when I received it the game boy itself was not working. I had multiple games and tried every one of them, but still no luck. I took a look inside of the catridge slot and noticed some sticky substance covering the last 4 prong. About 15-20 min later I removed the substance with a tooth pick and then it loaded the games fine. I thought I was all set. I them noticed that the r shoulder button did not work properly and eventually stopped working all together. My solution to solving this is blowing as hard as I could into the slot where the button was located 10 or 15 times. This solved the problem for about 5 min then would it would happen again. So I had to repeat the process about every 5 min for it to work. The games I played use the r button regularly so I was pretty annoyed. None of this was disclosed to me and I felt the seller was very dishonest and trying to take advantage of anyone that bought it. He should have told me about these conditions and if he was unaware of them it was his fault for not testing the system to determine if it was in proper working order. I would give him zero stars if I could. Very dissatisfied and will never buy from him again.

I got my GBA SP last week after a long wait for one to become available. I purchased the original GBA last year to take with me on a cross-continental flight. I had never owned a portable system before. I bought Golden Sun with it, and played through it over the course of my trip. The Game was fantastic, and it really impressed me how much game-play could be squeezed out of such a little device. After the trip, it collected dust, not because the game library didn't have anything to offer, but because the screen was so hard to see. It is dark, and when dealing with trying to get the proper lighting conditions, glare on the screen can often be very distracting. The SP with its built in light and re-chargable battery have single handedly renewed my interest in this platform. I played Wario Land 4 on it, and had a fantastic time. Yes it is not quite as comfortable to hold as the original, but the pros here far outweigh the cons. An aspect that almost no reviewers have mentioned is that the buttons have changed... for the better. The buttons are easier to press, specifically the directional pad. They click easier, and you don't have to press as hard. The only button placement that is less helpful are those of the L and R shoulder buttons. They are smaller and less easy to access, but don't let this discourage you. The light and battery and foldable screen and easier D-pad, A and B button pressing are 4 pros. to the one con of more difficult L and R button access. The extra money is well spent. Trust me.

Maybe twice have I ever got a hand written note from an Amazon order. They even used my name. This really tells me the care about the buyer. Anyway. I was looking for a GBA SP for my wife so she had something To do during her 7 hour chemo seasons. Shipping was really fast and was packaged very well. The game boy it's self wasn't what you would call perfect. Few marks and scratched but I expected that. Living in the pocket of a person isn't the most forgiving thing. You have to remember they are not new. I put a game in and turned it on. Game worked. Game boy worked. Back light worked. Very happy with it. My wife was even more so. Now she has something to keep her busy with her treatment.

When I was 9 someone stole my gameboy SP, so I always wanted to get a new one. I ordered this with a lot of skepticism, but what I received really brightened my day. The console is in really good condition. There is hardly any where on the case and the only thing noticeable is the discoloration of the buttons from age. It turns on, holds charge, and works as intended. Good buy!